Quinnipiac University Presidential Public Service Fellows Honored

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Quinnipiac University senior Steven Pflug spent nine weeks during a summer program working with the Hamden Police Department to help develop a predictive crime mapping project.

"It's basically tactical intelligence," explained Pflug, a criminal justice and political science major. "It is gathering information, analyzing that information and displaying it back to the public. The experience was extremely valuable because it gave me first-hand experience into something that I want to do for the rest of my life, which is developing programs and models that allow me to give back to the public and help protect people."

Pflug was one of 11 Presidential Public Service Fellows honored Oct. 7 at an awards ceremony and luncheon at the University Club in the TD Bank Sports Center. He was joined by students Ashley Alcott, Michael Colson, Melissa Condo, Anthony DeMarinis, Patrick Donnelly, Michelle Farrell, Lucy Freeman, Ashley Hartle, April McKenzie and Melanie Morse.

The fellowship program, which began at Quinnipiac in 2003 with the creation of a trust by donors Hank and Nancy Bartels, gives students the opportunity to work in municipal government offices with a department head as a mentor-supervisor.

Thanks to the Bartels, University President John Lahey and Scott McLean, a political science professor and fellowship director, the fellows worked for municipal departments in Hamden and North Haven that included economic development, public works, youth services, the mayor's and first selectman's office, elderly services, public library, planning and zoning, and arts, recreation and culture.

"Our relationships with the towns of Hamden and North Haven have never been better," Lahey told the fellows. "I have no doubt that the work you have done as students represents the very best of Quinnipiac. The way you have represented this university, the work you have done and the contributions you've made are just enormous."

Hamden Mayor Scott Jackson and Hamden Police Chief Tom Wydra were equally effusive in their praise of the students, using the word "enthusiastic" to describe the fellows.

"It means as much to us as it means to the students," Jackson said. "We take this as an opportunity to kind of refresh ourselves and reconnect with the principals that got us involved in public service at the outset. Having these very skillful, very energetic, very enthusiastic students around who were so thirsty for knowledge really worked out for all of us. They provided real services to the residents of Hamden."

North Haven First Selectman Michael Freda reported similar positive results in his town. He pointed out that one of last year's fellows, John Muzzy, created North Haven's Facebook page, which provides updates and alerts and currently has 1,560 followers.

"It's the third consecutive year that we've done this and we thoroughly enjoy the program," Freda said. "We just don't give them menial tasks. We really get them involved with government."